A-LEVEL students have been praised by their MP for achieving a higher-than-average pass rate.

Results in Ashok Kumar's Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency last year showed a 29.9 per cent pass rate among youngsters taking four or more A-levels.

This is compared to 20.1 per cent for England.

Dr Kumar said: "For too long, we have been told that this area suffers from low levels of attainment, and now we can see from these figures that the tide has turned at last."